| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Philebus by Plato: for the good of others, does not sacrifice himself that they may be saved
from the persecution which he endures for their sakes, but rather that they
in their turn may be able to undergo similar sufferings, and like him stand
fast in the truth. To promote their happiness is not his first object, but
to elevate their moral nature. Both in his own case and that of others
there may be happiness in the distance, but if there were no happiness he
would equally act as he does. We are speaking of the highest and noblest
natures; and a passing thought naturally arises in our minds, 'Whether that
can be the first principle of morals which is hardly regarded in their own
case by the greatest benefactors of mankind?'
The admissions that pleasures differ in kind, and that actions are already
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: cried Laurie, throwing up his hat and catching it again, to the
great delight of two ducks, four cats, five hens, and half a
dozen Irish children, for they were out of the city now.
"Hush! It won't come to anything, I dare say, but I couldn't
rest till I had tried, and I said nothing about it because I didn't
want anyone else to be disappointed."
"It won't fail. Why, Jo, your stories are works of Shakespeare
compared to half the rubbish that is published every day.
Won't it be fun to see them in print, and shan't we feel proud of
our authoress?"
Jo's eyes sparkled, for it is always pleasant to be believed
Little Women |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from In the Cage by Henry James: it all, was visibly clear for him, none the less, was that he was
tremendously glad he had met her. She held him, and he was
astonished at the force of it; he was intent, immensely
considerate. His elbow was on the back of the seat, and his head,
with the pot-hat pushed quite back, in a boyish way, so that she
really saw almost for the first time his forehead and hair, rested
on the hand into which he had crumpled his gloves. "Yes," he
assented, "it's not a bit horrid or vulgar."
She just hung fire a moment, then she brought out the whole truth.
"I'd do anything for you. I'd do anything for you." Never in her
life had she known anything so high and fine as this, just letting
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The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from Bureaucracy by Honore de Balzac: his marriage.
"There! it is half-past six o'clock; finish shaving and dress at
once," she cried hastily, after the fashion of women when pressed on a
point they are not ready to talk of. "I must go; we'll adjourn the
discussion, for I don't want to be nervous on a reception-day. Good
heavens! the poor soul!" she thought, as she left the room, "it IS
hard to be in labor for seven years and bring forth a dead child! And
not trust his wife!"
She went back into the room.
"If you had listened to me you would never had interceded to keep your
chief clerk; he stole that abominable paper, and has, no doubt, kept a
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